Bosh clutch, extends Raps win streak to five

ORLANDO -- Say what you want about four wins in a row against teams with losing records, but no one can take away last night's victory.

The Orlando Magic, a team fighting for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, a team carrying a six-game winning streak, took one on the chin last night courtesy of the Raptors.

The Raps winning streak coming in -- built against lightweights like the L.A. Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Milwaukee Bucks, and Chicago Bulls -- wasn't getting much respect. Last night's win should get them some of that.

The pre-game plan -- play Dwight Howard, the Magic's Mr. Everything straight up with one defender and let him get his and just work hard to shut down everyone else -- was carried out to perfection in the 99-95 win.

It was the fifth victory in a row for Toronto which still has a mathematical chance of making the playoffs.

The Raps sit six games out of the eighth and final playoff berth in the East with five teams lingering between them and that spot.

Forward Chris Bosh, whose 22-footer with 24 seconds remaining proved to be the difference, refuses to look past this season and the slim playoff chances that remain.

"It's not bittersweet because it's not over yet," Bosh said when asked if winning this late in the season with their playoff hopes all but dashed still meant a lot. "We're going to keep playing and see what happens.

"We still have a chance. That's the way we have to think about it."

As for the shot, which he hit over a contesting Dwight Howard, Bosh admitted it didn't go off exactly as planned.

"I knew I didn't have much time but I kind of forgot I only had eight seconds," Bosh said of the inbounds play. "I looked up at the shot clock and it was down under five so I knew I had to get a shot up,

"It felt good as soon as it left my hands. I'm just glad I made it."

In addition to earning bragging rights over his good friend with the win, Bosh was also taken out on the town on Howard's dime. The standing gentleman's agreement when the Raptors take on the Magic is the loser buys dinner.

Howard led all scorers with 30 points to go along with his nine rebounds.

Bosh's 24 led the way for Toronto followed by 21 from Jose Calderon, 17 from Shawn Marion and another 16 from Andrea Bargnani.

With both Bargnani and Bosh in foul trouble from about the midway point of the third quarter, the Howard duties fell to Joey Graham who was more than happy to use up the bulk of his six fouls on Howard.

"That was the game plan," Graham said. "We didn't care how many points Dwight scored as long as we held the other guys from shooting threes. We did a good job of that."

The normally solid three-point shooting Magic were off in that part of their game as they hit on just 7-of-26 from beyond the arc.